Walking the Plank

16 September 2023

It got a bit bumpy again overnight. But once again it didn’t last long, and it was quite nice to be rocked back to sleep.

Sadly our Hurtigruten adventure was coming to an end and it was a kind of “housekeeping and waiting around” kind of day. We will miss our big breakfasts and restaurant quality dinners, our regular ports of call, the stunning Norwegian scenery, the ease of not having to pack and unpack every day and the lounging around with not a care in the world. But it is time to move on to our next adventure.

We breakfasted, packed our bags and were out of our cabin by 10.00 am. It had served us well over the last few days.

The weather was overcast, foggy, breezy and there was even a little r#*n thrown in. The back deck was empty, the pointy bit was choc-a-block. No sun worshipping today.

We secured our comfy seats early and didn’t budge, for fear of losing them, (they were highly sought after today) as we sailed closer to Bergen. Grahame listened to the Knights v Warriors Game and kept us up to date with the score. He sent a text into the ABC saying he was listening from the coast of Norway. Imagine his excitement when the commentators read his message over the radio. Made up a little for the loss.

The expedition leaders called us to the deck, later when the weather had improved, to view the Stiensund. (The Strait of Rocks). Despite being less than 60 metres wide at the narrowest passage, they assured us it was shippable. There were little houses hidden in little coves, salmon farms and rocky islands everywhere.

Finally, our destination, Bergen, came into view.

We “walked the plank “ for the final time, coaxed off board by a smiling Captain, and trudged our baggage back up to the Luggage Storage at Bergen Train Station. Fortunately the weather had improved and we were now enjoying a beautiful afternoon in Bergen.

We headed back to Bryggen, each with our own objective.

Emily, who flies home in a few days, had shopping to do. Grahame had promised to have a beer for his mate Rossco, and I had my heart set on a Norwegian Hot Dog (with all the trimmings) from a Hot Dog stand down near the harbour.

I’m happy to report that it was mission accomplished on all three counts.

Our final task for the day was to take the light rail to the airport and the check in to our nearby hotel for an early morning flight tomorrow. Once again, mission accomplished.

Our Hurtigruten adventure far exceeded my expectations. The scenery was spectacular, the meals were surprisingly good and our cabin was adequately comfortable. If this sounds good, and you don’t mind mixing it with the over 50’s/ retirees set, (Bonus points to Emily), I’d highly recommend it.

We said a fond farewell to Emily tonight. Our flight leaves a few hours earlier than hers and given she is not an early morning kinda gal, we figured farewells tomorrow morning would be pointless (and unwelcome). It has been a pleasure travelling with her. She helped us negotiate the light rails, the busses, the check ins and outs, the app downloads, the payment methods and even, at times, the language much faster and more efficiently than we would. She kept a watchful eye over us, tapping me on the shoulder whenever I headed off in the wrong direction, picked up our bags, jackets or glasses cases as we walked off without them and handed them over with an understanding eye roll. We will manage without her, but we will miss her!!